Stretching before a workout helps warm up the muscles and prevent injuries, but did you know that stretching after workouts is just as essential? Stretching right after a workout relaxes and lengthens the muscles. If you really pushed yourself during a workout that day, you may want to stretch before you go to bed as well, and/or in a hot shower the next morning. Stretching in a hot shower is a great trick, because your raised body temperature releases muscle tension and allows for a deeper stretch. Remember, stretching = injury prevention, so do it as much as you can!
I also want to take a minute to speak to hydration. Have you ever gone to a spa for a massage, and afterwards they encourage you to drink lots of water? Proper hydration in conjunction with stretching, will flush out the toxins and lactic acid your body builds up when you work hard. Do yourself a favor and drink water throughout the day, especially in this record breaking heat! However, be sure to switch to an electrolyte packed drink post workout; such as, Gatorade, coconut water, or an Emergen-C packet added to your water bottle. While water flushes out toxins, it unfortunately flushes electrolytes too... it does not distinguish between the too. That means you could be losing electrolytes while you sweat AND while you hydrate. Loss of electrolytes will lead to cramping and injuries, so make sure you replenish with the proper post workout beverage.
Let's recap: I would like you to drink water throughout the day, stretch before and after workouts, stretch a third time if needed (either before bed or in the shower the next morning), and make sure you are drinking an electrolyte beverage during workouts.
Happy Sweating,
Dominique
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